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Monday, September 23, 2013

#216 - Jerry Don Gleaton

What a card: After a three-year absence, Jerry Don Gleaton returns to a baseball card set with this card. It was his first card since the 1982 Topps set.

My observation on the front: If I'm reading the scoreboard clock correctly, this photo was taken at 11:43 a.m. at Yankee Stadium. Perhaps an afternoon game was in the offing (Matthew from Number 5 Type Collection reports that if it is indeed a day game at the Stadium it's Aug. 8, 1984).

More opinion from me: As a lifetime northerner, this was one of my first encounters with a person with two first names. When I saw "Jerry Don Gleaton" for the first time on my 1981 Topps Rangers rookies card it both puzzled and amused me.

Something you might know: Gleaton was part of the massive 11-player deal between the Rangers and Mariners in 1980. The Rangers sent Gleaton, Richie Zisk, Ken Clay, Brian Allard, Rick Auerbach and Steve Finch to the Mariners for Rick Honeycutt, Willie Horton, Mario Mendoza, Leon Roberts and Larry Cox.

Something you might not know: A lifetime bachelor, Gleaton is now the activities director for a Baptist church in his native Brownwood, Texas. He volunteers constantly, organizing kids' sporting activities and helping out with things like operating the scoreboard clock at high school football games and washing dishes after the church's weekly dinners.

-- The Hardball Times-- HighHeatStats.com-- Honolulu Star-Bulletin-- "If These Walls Could Talk, Los Angeles Dodgers" - Houston Mitchell--IMDb.com-- "Is This a Great Game or What?" - Tim Kurkijan-- the Ivy League